Palampur grapples with stray cattle menace

There appears to be no end in sight to the stray cattle menace in Palampur. More than a dozen people have lost their lives in separate accidents caused by stray animals sitting on highways. With the stray cattle population rising daily, the animals continue to crowd the streets, state roads and national highways across the district. Authorities, including local administration, municipal councils, village panchayats and the Animal Husbandry Department, have seemingly turned a blind eye to the issue.

Although the state government has been collecting Rs 10 on the sale of every bottle of liquor in the form of a “Cow Cess”, there is little clarity on where this money has been utilised. Alarmingly, the stray cattle population has reportedly tripled in the past three years.

Despite directions from the Himachal Pradesh High Court, there has been no significant progress in setting up animal shelters for stray cattle in Palampur. The state government had instructed all Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Magistrates to establish shelters in their respective jurisdictions and relocate all stray animals from highways and markets. Yet, two years after the court order, not a single new animal home has been established in Kangra, the largest district in the state.

Interestingly, the government has already spent over Rs 3 crore on building an animal shelter at Nagri, just 10 km from Palampur. Though completed three years ago, the facility remains non-operational.

Stray cattle are commonly seen loitering in busy marketplaces, narrow lanes and along major roads, causing accidents and posing risks to pedestrians and commuters. Recently, a stray cow knocked down an elderly man while he was buying vegetables. In the past year alone, four people have been killed by stray bulls in Palampur. In a similar incident, a 45-year-old woman suffered injuries after being knocked down by a bull.

The situation has triggered increasing concern among locals, who want stray animals removed from town bylanes and highways. “The situation in Ghuggar, the most densely populated area of Palampur, is even worse. Herds of stray cows and bulls gather near the Kalibari Temple, Hanuman Chowk and Plaza Market, giving a harrowing time to senior citizens and schoolchildren. The risk of vehicles hitting the wandering beasts and the trails of excreta the animals leave behind on the road surface are a nuisance,” he said.

‘People’s Voice’, a voluntary organisation based in the town, has appealed to the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court to direct the state government—particularly the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra and the municipal councils of Palampur and Baijnath—to submit a status report on the management of stray cattle. It has also requested the court to issue directives for immediate remedial measures.